


Own World

by gilleoni



Category: The Fall (TV)
Genre: Christmas, F/F, Fluff, Mistletoe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-14
Updated: 2015-12-14
Packaged: 2018-05-06 17:19:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5425358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gilleoni/pseuds/gilleoni
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stella and Reed attend the police Christmas party for the first time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Own World

**Author's Note:**

> A short bit of fluff to get you through the day...  
> Feedback is very much appreciated!

When they arrive, almost everyone is there - Eastwood and his wife, Glen Martin and Gail McNally, Dani and a few PCs, DCs and crime techs that Stella recognizes from Operation Musicman as well as most of the other officers. Even Burns and his wife are in attendance, and Stella immediately makes a mental note to avoid him as much as possible.

The station looks almost inviting, Christmas decorations can be found on the walls of the corridors, but her team have truly outdone themselves, she thinks. They didn't have a lot to do lately, and they used the time to brighten up the huge conference room that is used for the annual Christmas party every year, as they told her. Someone even put up a small Christmas tree, decorated with sweets and christmas baubles, in one corner, next to the desks on which food and drinks had been arranged.

Reed, following right behind her, looks surprised - Stella realizes she hasn't been at the station a lot recently; that she has only been there a few times since they have known each other, actually.

Naturally, Dani comes up to them first and offers them a drink, something alcoholic in red plastic cups, and it reminds Stella of the high school parties she attended as a teenager. She shakes that memory out of her head when she accepts a cup from Dani, and whatever is in there is actually quite good, but also pretty strong. Dani tells them that it's a family recipe she learned from her mother, and it delights Stella to see this new side to the younger officer. She learns something new about almost all of her colleagues over the course of the evening, gets to know them better, and she finds herself actually enjoying the gathering. Most of all, though, she enjoys seeing Reed having fun - it's been a rough year, and the events still haunt them at times. They hadn't really gotten many chances at going out together or with the others, but maybe, Stella thinks, maybe they should change that.

After some time, she retreats from the main action, happy with observing the party. She watches the others from the door to the adjoining office, casually leaning against the doorframe. It doesn't take Reed long to spot her from across the room, prompting her to come over to Stella and stand next to her, smiling. For a short while, they just stand there, shoulders barely touching. It's not until a slightly tipsy Dani comes over to them, brightly smiling, that they focus their attention again.  
"Ma'am, I don't mean to disturb, but, would you mind looking above you?" Stella arches her right eyebrow in confusion before looking up. The sight of a decorated mistletoe curves her lips into a flirtatious smile as she looks back at Reed, who seems slightly less amused by the idea of kissing in front of all their colleagues. But Stella takes Reed's hands in hers anyways and squeezes them gently, reassuringly.

She can see the resistance in Reed's eyes fading as she leans closer, holding Reed's gaze. Their lips touch, barely, and Stella smiles into the kiss as Reed brings a hand to her face and draws her closer, deepening their kiss. It's still soft and slow, loving. One of Stella's hands finds its way to Reed's neck, fingers entangling in her hair, as Reed lets out a small sigh. When their lips part, their gazes are still locked, foreheads touching. "Merry Christmas", Stella whispers, gently moving a strand of hair behind Reed's ear.

They are so caught up in their own world, it takes them a moment to notice that all eyes are on them, absolute silence reigning the room. Stella glances sideways, a triumphant smile forming on her lips as she turns to fully look at them. She can see Reed blushing next to her and takes her hand again, calmingly running her thumb over it.

"Well..." Eastwood is the first to speak again, redirecting most of the attention at him. "Congratulations, I guess."


End file.
